Be an informed consumer and hire smart! Use these tools to be sure you're working with a registered contractor who has a valid bond and insurance.

The Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business tool allows you to:

• Look up subcontractors and tradespeople.
• Verify if the contractor has an active license.
• See if they have safety or construction citations.
• Find out if they have lawsuits against their bond.
• Confirm names of business owners.
• And much more.

You can also verify that the tradesperson performing electrical, plumbing, elevator installation, or manufactured home installations is certified (licensed) in Washington.

Watch:  Verify a Contractor for Consumers

See our Protect My Home page for tips and tools to help you hire smart! We have also created the Hire Smart Step-by-Step, a homeowner's guide to hiring a contractor that will help you find a contractor who is qualified to handle your project, and avoid many of the most common problems. But, if you do have problems, find out what you can do.

Use our Verify tool to see if a business you want to contract with has an active contractor registration; an active and paid-to-date workers' comp account covering any employees. At the same time, you can check for safety violations, other information, lawsuits against their surety bond and more.

The Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business allows you to:

• Look up subcontractors and tradespeople.
• Verify a contractor has an active license.
• Verify a tradesperson is certified.
• Verify a contractor has an active workers' comp account.
• See if the contractor has safety citations or other infractions.
• Find out if they have any lawsuits against their bond.
• Complete a tracking request for a subcontractor with an active worker's comp account.
• Print the Certificate of Workers' Comp Coverage.

You can search for a contractor by their:

• L&I employer account ID or Contractor License Number
• UBI number (business license number)
  
• Full or partial business or owners name

Use these tools to learn about hiring subcontractors or "independent contractors" and avoid prime contractor liability.

If you are a contractor hiring a subcontractor, be sure to complete a tracking request for those with active coverage. If the subcontractor fails to pay workers' comp premiums or renew their contractor registration, or if their electrical contractor license or plumbing contractor license is suspended or revoked within one year of the request, L&I will send you a notification letter.

You might be an employer and not know it

In some cases, an "independent contractor" is actually a worker for whom you must do such things as pay workers' comp premiums, meet wage and hour requirements, pay unemployment tax, etc. Not understanding your requirements can leave your business vulnerable to unwanted penalties and even lawsuits. See our publication, A Guide to Hiring Independent Contractors in Washington State (F101-063-000), for additional information.

Hazardous materials

Some activities have licensing requirements that are in addition to contractor registration.

Lead-based paint

Contact the Washington State Dept. of Commerce Lead Paint Program at 360-586-5323(LEAD), or visit www.commerce.wa.gov/lead, before renovating or remodeling activities in pre-1978 residential or child-occupied facilities, to ensure compliance with applicable lead regulations.

Pesticides

If you will be applying pesticides, contact the Washington State Dept. of Agriculture, Licensing and Recertification Program at 877-301-4555 or license@agr.wa.gov to ensure you are in compliance with state and federal pesticide law, or visit https://agr.wa.gov.

More resources

• If you have entered a tracking request for a subcontractor, you may review your tracking requests.
• Do you need to Renew Your Contractor Registration?
• Do you need to Register as a Contractor?

Use the Verify tool to view your continuing education and basic trainee classroom credits and check the status of a contractor.

Continuing education requirements for plumbers

• Journey Level and Residential Specialty plumbers must complete 16 hours of continuing education within a 2-year renewal cycle.
• Domestic Pump and Pump and Irrigation plumbers must complete 24 hours of continuing education, with a minimum of 12 credits of plumbing or combination classes, within a 3-year renewal cycle.
• Backflow Specialty plumbers have no continuing education classes requirement, but must maintain an active BAT (Backflow Assembly Tester) card to renew their certificate.
• Plumber trainees must complete 8 of the 16 hours that are required of a Journey Level or Residential Specialty Plumber every year. Required courses must be taken within the renewal cycle.

Plumber training information

Continuing education requirements for electricians

• Electricians, master electricians and administrators (except those in telecommunications) must complete a minimum of 24 hours of continuing education credits within a 3-year renewal cycle. Credits must include at least 8 hours of NEC code update and 4 hours of WAC rule update.
• Domestic Pump and Pump and Irrigation electricians must complete 24 hours of continuing education, with a minimum of 12 credits of plumbing or combination classes, within a 3-year renewal cycle.
• Electrical trainees must complete 48 hours of basic classroom instruction within a 2-year renewal cycle.

Electrical training information

Class providers: Get your continuing education course approved.

• Plumber training courses
• Electrical training courses

Use L&I’s Verify tool to look up your business or another business’s information.

With this tool, you can find:

• Risk classes, rates and experience factors.
• Certificate of Workers’ Comp Coverage (located in the Workers’ Comp section of each business record).
• Safety citations and other infractions.

Related business resources

• Guide to Hiring Independent Contractors in Washington State (F101-063-000)